10 Most Spectacular National Parks in China

1. Jiuzhai Valley-Huanglong National Park 九寨沟-黄龙寺

Jiuzhai Valley is locally known as Jiuzhaigou (Chinese for “Nine Village Valley”). It is a National Park located in the Min Shan mountain range, Northern Sichuan in South Western China. It is also best known for its fabled blue and green lakes, spectacular waterfalls, narrow conic karst land forms and its unique wildlife. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992; the park joined the Man and Biosphere Conservation Network in 1997 and has also received IUCN, Green Globe and ISO 14,001 accreditation.

Huanglong is a scenic and historic area in Songpan County North-West of Sichuan. Located in the southern part of the Minshan mountain range, 150 km North-West of Chengdu, this beautiful National Park features with colorful pools formed by calcite deposits, diverse forest ecosystems, snow-capped peaks, waterfalls and hot springs. Huanglong is also home to many endangered species including Giant Panda and Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Being a special nature reserve of the world, Huanglong Scenic Area was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992.

10 Most Spectacular Places in Sichuan

1. Jiuzhaigou 九寨沟

Located deep in the heart of the Aba autonomous prefecture in Sichuan and 400 km from Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou is an impressive spot offering scenery to rival Guilin and an atmosphere and culture that is not dissimilar to much of Tibet. Jiuzhaigou is actually a huge nature and scenery reserve covering approximately 60,000 hectares situated in the Min Shan mountain range. Ancient Chinese legend has it that the goddess Semo accidentally smashed her mirror here and the pieces which fell down the mountain formed beautiful lakes, streams and waterfalls. Despite official attempts to attract thousands of tourists, Jiuzhaigou remains a surprisingly peaceful and traditional place. Yaks, shrines and prayer wheels are all common sights. The small villages here are inhabited by Tibetan and Qiang people who conduct their lives in a very traditional manner. The scenery here is pretty spectacular too. Lakes and waterfalls spill down the mountainside, mountains tower above small hamlets and villages and there is an abundance of beautiful wildlife too. Panda, monkey and bison exist here and birds and fish are everywhere, nestled in amongst the pretty bamboo forest.